Religion

08/08/2012

Missouri primary election night was full of surprises. A few observations:

Congressman Clay showed Rusty Carnahan that his name was enough to carpet bag his way into a South St. Louis Congressional seat, but the North Side remains Clay Country.

Thousands of well-intentioned Tea Partiers learned that the best intentioned candidate cannot defeat the unwritten rules of politics and a Harvard lawyer with the right ideas and wrong bank account just cannot make a serious run for the top political job in the state.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Missourians learned that no political rule can withstand God's rule when Todd Akin is on the ballot.

On primary election day, August 2000, in the race for the 2nd Congressional seat vacated by then Congressman Jim Talent, state house member Todd Akin was running for Congress against a far better funded former county executive with nearly 100% name identification, a slightly better funded state senator with solid name identification (both slightly to his left politically), Talent's long-time grassroots coordinator and another conservative competing for Todd's base. County Executive Gene McNary was heavily favored. When the dust settled, Akin shocked the establishment winning with 52 votes.

The stunner of the primary in August 2012 is perhaps actually quite simple. Conventional wisdom held many marks against Akin.

1. He is from St. Louis, that is never good.

2. He had a second candidate competing for St. Louis votes.

3. He had in Steelman, a seasoned Missouri campaigner with a record of winning statewide.

4. Two men against one woman, two St. Louisans against one rural candidate...

5. Akin was dismissed by the establishment as "too conservative" and dismissed by many, most-notably conservative kingmaker, Senator Jim Demint as too liberal.

What did Akin have? In a word, God.

While plenty of Christians have waded into politics, few can match the Congressman's record of Christian devotion, clean living and even clean campaigning of Todd Akin. Akin even teaches classes on the Biblical heritage and legacy of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Certainly it is fooolish for anyone to claim to know God's plan in specific developments in the affairs of men, but those also doubting that the Lord has a hand in His world do so at their own peril. As long as Congressman Akin is on the ballot and on his knees, smart political money would remember the primaries of 2000 and 2012.

Missouri Republican Voters, sent a powerful message

Akin ran a hard race, a clean race, and a determined race, and to their credit, Missouri Republican voters rewarded Akin with a convincing victory. The Republican consultants who were so quick to violate Reagan's 11th Commandment and advise their candidates to attack Akin early and below the belt should take note of what the Republican body politic communicated and should maybe take to their knees before takng a bat to another Republicans again.

The big races lie ahead.This country is in great peril and the least transparent, most-viciously campaigning, hardest left radical who ever "occupied" the White House needs to go. Many good patriots are tempted by powerful axioms like "voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil". That is all fine and good until election day, but there are many more ways to express one's opinion than burning one's bra, draft card or ballot. Shirking one's responsibility to remove a man who would tax us all and force our kids to fund abortions for irresponsible "occupiers" is an endorsement of evil. The axiom for all patriots that is true now more than ever comes from William F. Buckley, Jr. "Always support the rightward most viable candidate". Always.

07/23/2010

Patch has a video up of Obama talking about his book Dreams About My Father, and candidly about the black church. While there are gotcha moments of him stating that Reverend Wright offers the best the Black Church has to offer (and presumably showing he ditched his pastor for political reasons), what struck me more was the serious and adult way Obama talked about race. I'm going to close the comments on this post, because I don't want people to argue back and forth. If this is the kind of post you like, please just think on it, pray on it, and then consider how you plan to change the conversations about race. It starts beneath the fold.